(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cacao butter substitutes. More particularly, the present invention relates to cacao butter substitutes having very sharp melting characteristics as well as to chocolates containing said cacao butter substitutes.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Cacao fat has been conventionally used as an oil and fat for chocolate. Unlike other natural or processed oils and fats, cacao fat has the unique characteristic of being a solid at or around the normal temperature but melting quite rapidly at or around body temperatures. This melting characteristic of cacao fat depends upon its very simple triglycerides composition which is composed substantially of 1,3-disaturated-2-unsaturated triglycerides (SUS) comprising 1-(3-)palmito-2-oleo-3-(1-)stearin (POS) as a main component.
An absolute requirement for cacao butter substitutes is that they have physical properties, particularly melting characteristics similar to that of cacao fat. For allowing a cacao butter substitute to have physical properties similar to those of cacao fat, there are two basic methods viewed from the compositional standpoint. In one method, a cacao butter substitute is allowed to have a triglyceride structure similar to that of cacao fat. If the cacao butter substitute has a similar triglyceride structure, this eventually gives physical properties similar to those of cacao fat. In the other method, a cacao butter substitute having a triglyceride structure largely different from that of cacao fat is allowed to be similar to cacao fat in its physical properties, particularly in its own melting characteristic. Hereinafter, the former cacao butter substitute is called a similar structure type substitute and the latter cacao butter substitute a dissimilar structure type substitute, from their similarities to cacao fat in triglyceride structure. The dissimilar structure type substitutes are further divided into laurin type substitutes and trans type substitutes. The laurin type substitutes are produced by processing a laurin type oil and fat such as palm oil, palm-kernel oil or the like, and the trans type substitutes are produced by processing a very common vegetable oil such as soybean oil, rice oil, cotton seed oil, rape seed oil, corn oil or the like, particularly by subjecting the oil to a process essentially comprising a hydrogenation step (in this hydrogenation, the trans acid group is inevitably formed).
Cacao butter substitutes are also divided into two types according to processes in which they are used for the production of chocolates. One type is tempering type substitutes which can be produced into chocolates by a process requiring a tempering step. Another type is non-tempering type substitutes which can be produced into chocolates by a process not requiring a tempering step. The tempering type substitutes correspond to the similar structure type substitutes and the non-tempering type substitutes to the dissimilar structure type substitutes.
The conventional similar structure type substitutes have hitherto been studied and developed with a definite objective of allowing them to have structures and physical properties, particularly melting characteristics as similar as possible to that of cacao fat. They are used mainly in plate type chocolates of high quality.
On the other hand, the dissimilar structure type substitutes have a variety of applications as a material for composite cakes, and accordingly various products using these substitutes have been developed. Of the dissimilar structure type substitutes, laurin type substitutes are especially noteworthy.
The laurin type substitues are produced by subjecting an oil and fat material whose major constituent is the laurin acid group, such as palm oil, palm-kernel oil, babassu oil or the like and to a combination of hydrogenation, ester group exchange, solvent fractionation and the like. Compared with other cacao butter substitutes, laurin type substitutes are very desirable because the laurin type substitutes have very rapidly melting characteristics, fast drying properties, appropriate heat resistances and very good snapping properties. However, being the dissimilar structure type substitutes, the laurin type substitutes have very poor compatibillity with cacao butter. The similar structure type substitutes of good quality are miscible with cacao fat in various proportions without showing little change in melting characteristics and crystal characteristic, while the dissimilar structure type have a limitation in miscibility with cacao fat. Mixing of cacao fat in an amount exceeding the limitation causes a sudden change in melting characteristic and crystal characteristic, and chocolate production becomes impossible. The flavor of chocolates is based on the flavor of cacao, therefore, if cacao fat can not be used beyond a low addition range, production of a chocolate of good flavor becomes impossible. Another detrimental drawback of the laurin type substitutes is their hydrolyzability. The hydrolyzability of the laurin type substitutes can not be reduced in spite of various contrivances being applied in their processing. Chocolates produced with the laurin type substitutes wherein hydrolysis has taken place give an unpleasant odor derived from medium chain fatty acids and may cause a nauseated feeling. Hence, use of the laurin type substitutes are restricted to the production of chocolates for use in cakes of short shelf life and can not be used in chocolate products of long shelf life, which is a big drawback for the laurin type substitutes.